The Dawn Will Come
by thefruitseller
Summary: Menippus never really believed in heroes. He chose to tread his own path instead. But everything changes when he meets an unexpected ally who will test his beliefs, his resolve and his destiny through a suicide mission to protect Skyrim.
1. Opportunities

_Another day, another fight._ Menippus stared casually at his empty tankard. He sighed. This was his fourth drink,yet his mind remained perfectly clear. Not the plan he had in mind when he stepped inside the Snowberry Inn.

"Another one for you, tough guy?"He turned his glance towards the direction of the steady. high-pitched voice just to see the petite breton barmaiden that had served him the previous rounds staring him intently. She had long brown hair that fell over her shoulders and covered a part of her left eye. The right one though was fixed on Menippus' ones, brown into brown. Her complexion revealed that she was young, around her mid twenties, same as he.

"Yeah", he answered nonchalantly.

"Wow wow stop talking now, you're boring me", she mocked before turning around to grab a half-empty bottle of fine,cyrodilic brandy.

"Good,keep it that way then." _Why the fuck are all barmaidens so annoying?_ he pondered as he placed his elbow against the counter. _Maybe it is just me,this lifestyle is making me obnoxious._ That wasn't the first time the thought had crossed his mind, but then again a man needs to make a living, so between begging in the streets of Whiterun and joining the thieves guild,Menippus had decided to live by hunting in the wilds and trading with the local merchants. He would offer them good quality pelts,claws,antlers and maybe, if he was lucky, some sabre cat teeth in exchange for gold. Some might say it was a dangerous job, but not for this man.

"Here you are. Enjoy!" The same annoying voice interrupted his thoughts and another tankard now laid in front of the Imperial, eager to be consumed.

"Thanks."

"Oh and just a tiny piece of advice big guy",Menippus never really had the chance to start drinking as the Breton demanded his attention once more."Cheer up!This is a tavern for Mara's sake, people come here to forget their problems, not enlarge them." Her initially mocking tone had transformed into a serious one, to Menippus' surprise.

"Technically it's an inn", he mused, "but I get the idea, you might be right"

"Of course I'm right! You get to know a lot of things about taverns-well..inns by working in one of them." After seeing the man in front of her chuckling, she continued with greater confidence:"I'm Mathilde, by the way", extending her right hand.

"Menippus", he answered shaking it with his.

Mathilde's eyes instantly widened."Wait..I..I have heard of you. You are the one they call the Dragonborn?The Dovahkiin?"

"Word spreads quickly I see",the imperial answered raising an eyebrow.

"Shit, just don't tell me that a dragon is about to attack this place".

"How would I know? I'm the Dragonborn, not Akatosh himself" he answered abruptly.

"Then what are you doing here, in the middle of nowhere?I swear this inn is not even marked on the Skyrim map.' She had a point there. The place was almost empty but for Menippus and a strange traveller who had already fallen asleep on his chair in the company of an empty tankard which now rested on the wooden table . Menippus had also noted the absence of a bard, something extremely rare for a Skyrim inn.

"Hunting. I value the fat, lazy bears on these mounains pretty high".

"But, you are the Dragonborn right? I'm pretty sure you should be highly demanded all across Skyrim. People believe you are the one who is gonna save thei-"

"Look,Mathilde",he interrupted, "I'm not the one who they think I am. I just happened to be at the right place, at the right time",Menippus' voice was now so low, that the breton could hardly hear him.

"And that dragon you killed in Whiterun?"

"I didn't kill him alone. I was fighting along _half_ of Whiterun's army!",he retorted angrily. Silence spread in the room, only to make the tension between them thicker. Mathilde had now plenty of time to scrutinize the imperial's face. Most of it was covered by a thick beard that even the manliest nord would be jealous of. From the top edge of it, on the left side, she noticed a deep vertical scar, which would almost reach his eye. The beard's colour was matched with his short,messy hair:blonde. What impressed her most though were his eyes. She didn't really know why, they were a pair of brown dots after all -nothing unusual- ,but his glance was piercing, like an arrow cutting its way through unarmed flesh. Mathilde admitted to herself that the man in front of her was quite attractive.

"So, can I get a room for the night?",the man's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Of course!. I'll show you to your room,right this way please". She pointed to the right and gestured him to follow. Menippus obeyed with a nod.

The room was not any better than the rest of the place. The squeaky door made way to reveal an old,wooden bed at the corner of the the room. To the right, there was a single chair with a book on it: _'Immortal Blood'_ , Menippus read silently. _I have seen it before somewhere but I cant remember where._

"Well, enjoy your stay Dragonb..I mean Menippus. Would you like something specific for breakfast so I can prepare it?" She asked casually.

Menippus raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Why, don't look at me like might be a small inn but I am trying to make a name for it. Just don't ask for something unrealistic. A vampire visitor once asked for a blood pie and I had to kill one of my hens for that. Poor Cenepia!"

"No,I don't like blood pies anyway", he snorted,"although,how about... CHEESE?". Menippus made sure he emphasised the last word so that the Breton in front of him almost jumped before bursting into laughter.

"And here I was, thinking you were a serious person and all."

It was now Menippus' turn to chuckle,"I am,I just have my little outbursts now and then."

"Good! So, is cheese for real or are you completely trolling me, o mighty Dragonborn?", she immediately regretted that last part,as she noticed the smile in the imperial's face turn into a frown.

"Cheese for breakfast is perfect", he answered in a serious tone.

"Okay then. I think I shall take my leave now. Goodnight Menippus". And with that she started walking towards the door, with a disappointed look on her face.

"Goodnight Mathilde."

As the door closed, Menippus laboriously began removing his heavy,steel armor, then placed it on the floor near the chair. Unlike most steel vests, his was dyed in blue -his favourite colour- and although in certain spots it had begun to fade due to the hits it had received,it still pleased his eyes. Next, Menippus untied his sword belt and carefully placed it next to his armor before covering it with his large, round shield. Now that the boring procedure was completed, he finally threw himself on the bed, only to be welcomed by a loud crank and the sound of a wooden plank falling on the floor. _Oh fuck it, i'll, fix it tomorrow,_ he said to himself annoyed. He put his hands in his pockets, in an effort to counter the shivering cold that dominated the room when his right hand touched a piece of paper. Once again, like he had done so many times these last days, he pulled the note out and unfolded it. The writing was all pretty curves and through the blood stains,Menippus could read:

 **Name:** Rowan

 **Race:** Redguard

 **Sex:** Male

 **Location:** Windward Shack,Winterhold,Skyrim

 **Objective:** Elimination

 **Further Information:** Former instructor in the Arena. Legion trained swordsman. Connected with the Dragonborn, the only one who can jeopardize the plan. Failure is not an option. This one comes straight from the top.

 **R.**

Menippus gritted his teeth. No matter how many times he read it, the bitter taste it left him was the same. _Who the fuck are you mr.R? Cause when i find you and your buddies,I'm gonna gut you like a fish._ His thoughts kept spinning,from Solitude to Riften,trying to build a list of every possible R name he could remember that could be a part of this. Soon enough he found himself unable to focus anymore and darkness took him...

* * *

 _The sun was up and heavy snowflakes caressed his cheeks as he was looking at Windward Shack. The door was broken and the once-sturdy wooden walls were destroyed. The ominous scent of burnt flesh reached his nostrils. He ran. The shivering cold that was gnawing him to the bone didn't exist anymore. Now it was just the adrenaline pumping through his veins that warmed him more than anything else he had tried. But what if I am too late? He smashed the remaining piece of the door and entered the ruined building. All he could see was a pile of 6-7 bodies, their hearts beat no more and their eyes reflected the horror that possessed them during their final seconds. All but one of them. Menippus did recognize a brown,old face amidst them and the familiar black ponytail hair style accompanying it. Rowan! But the man's eyes were closed and he was not sleeping,yet he seemed awfully peaceful. No!Rowan,no. Shit! You'll be fine old man, I'll get you help, I promise. He tried to poke him as if to wake him up but it was in vain. He knew his promise was a hollow one, too little too late. And as soon as he finally realised, he roared, not like an angry wolf,not even like a lion, but like a dragon and the sound echoed through the mountains of Winterhold. The man had been the father he never met and now he was gone. They didn't kill him,no,they couldn't have killed him. No,he decided to give in to his wounds. He dragged the body from the pile and carried it outside along with his iron sword painted in crimson with the blood of his attackers, 'The Gladiator' as Rowan called it. Menippus searched in the backyard for a shovel and as soon as he spotted one, he started digging his old man's grave. His face was a mess now,tears running down his cheeks but he had to go on, he had to give him a proper burial. It was the least he could do for the old man. And when his task was finally done, he said his final words towards him, the ones he once told him and taught him to live by them: Strength and honor._

* * *

It was almost noon as Menippus finally woke up,welcomed by a volley of sunlight rays and the refreshing feeling of a good night's rest. But that always came at a price. He had overslept. He sprang up and bolted out of the room and straight to the service counter, where a familiar figure was arranging the bottles of liquor.

"Morning Mathilde",he muttered."Is my breakfast ready?"

The breton smiled at him."Good morning Menippus. I see you are not the early bird type".

"Its your beds! They are just so comfy" he said joked back.

"I know right! Especially if you make sure to break certain planks before you lie down", she answered with a sly grin.

Menippus was now laughing "Well, that was unfortunate.I'm gonna fix it anyways before I leave,I promise."

"You'd better, big guy. So..cheese for everyone?", she shrugged.

"Oh,yeah!"

It was while eating his cheesy breakfast that he noticed he was not the only visitor in the room. To his right,at the corner he saw a shady figure dressed in a strange kind of armor that Menippus had never seen before. The chest plate was painted in dark brown and was covered by many straps, but there were no pauldrons and the sleeves were long. He also noticed that the man's belt was not made of leather,but iron. However he didn't manage to scrutinize his face as it was covered by the large iron war axe the man was inspecting. Or so _Menippus_ thought he was doing. As he went on to take another bite of his cheese, the mysterious man stood up and walked towards him,his eyes pinned on the imperial. Menippus could now see his face. He was an orsimer,no more than 45 -although its not easy to estimate the age of an orc- and by the numerous scars he bared, he could tell he was a warrior. Menippus slowly reached for his sword but missed a heartbeat when he remembered he had never taken it with him after he left his room in a hurry.

"You there",the orc spoke in a commanding tone, his finger pointing at Menippus."Do you wanna make some coin,son?"

"Does a bear shit in the woods?"Menippus scoffed.

The orc seemed rather pleased by this answer. "I don't know about bears,but vampires do. And _we_ must put a stop to that", he shouted punching his left hand with his right then took a seat next to Menippus and unwrapped a piece of paper in front of him. It was a map. Menippus noticed an x mark on the bottom-left corner.

"This is Castle Dawnguard,our headquarters",the orc pointed right on the mark.'"When you get there,speak to a man named Isran. He will fill you in with the rest of the details."

"What about the payment you mentioned earlier? I need evidence, its gonna take days for me to reach that castle and I don't intend to leave empty-handed afterwards"

"Let's make something clear now lad,shall we?", he said putting his hand on Menippus shoulder as he pulled his face in front of him and gave him a cold stare. "When I'm talking about vampires,I am _always_ deadly serious. There _will_ be money,glory and justice."

And with that,the mysterious orc buried the map back in his pocket and stood up. "My name is Durak, by the way. Make sure to put in a good word to Isran about my recruitment skills when you meet him. Farewell."

 _Well that was weird_ , Menippus thought as he watched Durak walking out of the inn. Though he could admit that the orc was quite persuasive. Something in his tone had actually convinced him that he _was_ telling the truth,this whole vampire-hunting thing was not a ruse. And after all Menippus never really liked vampires, not that he knew many things about them, but the scenario of turning innocent people into their kind unwillingly during their sleep gave him the chills. _So, is this gonna be work or pleasure?_ he shrugged at his thought. I might as well join. The payment cant be worse than the one I'm getting now.

"Mathilde?"

"Just a second!",a voice echoed from the room behind the bar followed by the appearance of a young breton girl. "Yes, Menippus?"

"How much do i owe you?. I gotta go."

"Let me see..hmm, room plus breakfast plus the drinks from last night..its 25 septims in total."

Menippus opened his pouch and shook it until the septims inside dropped onto his palm. "There you are",he exclaimed extending his full hand and emptying it in hers,"Thanks for everything! Goodbye." He started walking towards his room to gather his equipment when the barmaiden's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Umm, Menippus?". There was that sly grin again on her face and Menippus knew it was not for good.

"Yes?"

"Did you forget something maybe?"

After a brief moment of silence,Menippus reluctantly remembered his promise to fix the broken plank and with a sigh and a lot of cursing under his breath he went on to complete his task. When he was finally good and ready to go, he waved the barmaiden goodbye and stepped outside the inn and into a surprisingly warm Skyrim noon.

 _Hmm..so which way to castle Dawnguard?_

* * *

 **A/N: So this story is gonna follow the Dawnguard DLC, which is my favorite in the game. Sadly, Bethesda never really let us romance Serana(imo the most interesting NPC in vanilla Skyrim), although they DO hint it here and there. I'm pretty sure there will be grammatical errors and i apologize for that, but English is not my native language. If you liked it please review! I'm looking forward to reading both positive and negative comments from you.**

 **fruitseller out! o7**

Legend:

Menippus: Our story's hero, the last dragonborn. His background will be revealed gradually.

Snowberry inn: Don't bother trying to remember where it is because you won't. I placed it somewhere to the south of Winterhold.

Mathilde: OC. A young, hot breton inn keeper, trying not to run out of business.

Akatosh: Chief deity of the Nine Divines and father of dragons.

Whiterun: Capital of the homonymous hold, the first city you visit in the game(and my personal favorite,too).

Cenepia: OC? Nah,just a hen.

Windward shack: Not in the actual game,too. Let's say its located somewhere to the south-east of Winterhold.

Winterhold: What if i told you Winterhold is the capital (city?) of the homonymous hold? Yeah, I didn't believe it either at first.

Solitude: Capital of Haafingar and Skyrim. Bethesda did a really nice job with this city.

Riften: Capital of the Rift.

Rowan: OC. Menippus' mentor. Formerly working in the Arena, he is a descendant of Owyn(the guy who prepared you for the fights in the Arena, in Oblivion, and who was a total douche at the beginning but eventually came to respect your skills).

Durak: A member of Dawnguard, the guy who gives you the quest to begin the DLC, if you are not busy talking to guards.


	2. Fresh Meat

The journey from south-east Winterhold to the Rift was rather uneventful. Menippus had really no trouble taking out the occasional wolves, after all it was his job. Moreover, the weather remained surprisingly friendly. Though the snow never failed to touch the land in the areas around Windhelm, the sun was shining bright and warm. The Rift was one of Menippus' favourite holds of Skyrim, since it bared quite a lot of similarities with his homeland, Cyrodiil. The flora was rich and the temperatures higher, and that was enough for him.

He thought about stopping in Riften for a short break but he changed his mind eventually. Not that he wasn't tired, -alas, the two day's journey on Reica's back had taken its on toll on the hardy imperial-, but Menippus was currently burning with anticipation. He couldn't wait to work for the vampire hunters, to test his hand on a more dangerous game than wolves and bears. It was this eagerness that fueled his body and mind, driving him straight to the south-east corner of Skyrim.

Menippus was now facing a huge mountain as he realized his path had come to a dead end. _What the hell? There is no path here, how am I supposed to reach the damn Fort?_ With a nimble move, he dismounted Reica and set off to explore the area. To his frustration, he found out that the mountain was unapproachable and there was no visible road that connected the area with the fort. After an hour or so, Menippus finally gave up.

"Come to Castle Dawnguard, son. There will be money, son. I know that I look like a creepy, retired skooma dealer, but you need to trust me, son. It's not like I'm gonna trap you into the wild and send my thugs after your pouch, so-", his sarcastic monologue was interrupted when he heard a horse nickering from a distance. Menippus was so absorbed into exploring the area that he had forgotten Reica. He ran towards the direction of the sound, only to find his horse fighting a wolf pack. Swiftly, the imperial drew his sword and cut off a wolf's head, just as it was about to sink its teeth into Reica's chest. At the same time, the horse stood briefly on his two back legs and unleashed a powerful kick on the wolf that was in front of her,forcing it to crash on the mountain's base. There was only one more wolf left to kill, and though Reica was unaware of its presence, her rider was not. Menippus pulled out the hidden knife he kept inside his boot and skilfully threw it at the creature that was about to blindside his poor horse. The knife connected with the wolf's eyes, distracting it long enough for the imperial to finish it off with a shield bash that crushed its bones.

"Always looking for trouble, aren't you, Reica?", he scolded his horse while cleaning the blood off his sword and knife. And then, what he noticed made him gasp. A few feet away from Reica, there was a gap in the mountain that led right under its body. With a wide smile, Menippus kissed his horse's forehead and whispered in her ear: Good job girl. Good. Fucking. Job."

The gap was so narrow that it was impossible for anyone to cross it on horseback, thus Menippus instructed Reica to wait for him outside. After crossing the short path under the mountain, he found himself speechless as he looked at the sight in front of him. It was a waterfall, but unlike all the others Menippus had seen, this one was glacial and led to a frozen lake. _Wow boy, now that's something impressive._

But he never really had the time to finish his thought as a man's voice addressed him.

"Oh! Hey there! Are you here to join the Dawnguard, too?" Menippus was so absorbed by the view that he hadn't noticed the man that stood just a few feet to his right. He had long blond hair and blue eyes- a typical nord visage- and he didn't wear any armor at all, but for a pair of hide bracers. He looked pretty young too, Menippus could guess he was about nineteen to twenty.

"Yeah, that's the plan", he answered indifferently.

"Good, my name is Agmaer, I'm here to join the order, too", and after waiting a few seconds for a reply that never came, Agmaer continued, almost stammering now:"Listen, could I..could I walk with you? I'm a little nervous, I've never done anything like this before".

Menippus' eyes scanned the nord in a moment of silence before he sighed. "If you are nervous about introducing yourself, then I don't think you have a future here, Agmaer. Do you even know what you want to sign for?"

"Yes, I..I want to become a vampire hunter", the young nord stammered with a disheartened expression on his face.

"Have you ever been in a fight, Agmear? Have you actually killed anything at all?", Menippus asked in an aggressive tone.

Agmaer caressed his axe's edge as he replied, "I have killed a wolf once, with my pa's axe."

Menippus' sarcastic voice was there again: "You are a _true_ war veteran then, boy", before continuing in a serious tone this time:"Look, Agmaer, vampires are amongst the deadliest creatures in Skyrim, or that's what the books say. It is not smart for a man with no experience to join the fight. Go home. For your own sake."

"But I have no home! The vampires raided our house and killed my parents and my little sister", he protested, his voice almost broken now.

Menippus kept silent for a long moment before nodding in understanding. "Let's go", he patted the nord on the back.

The path to the fort was pretty straightforward. What both of the new recruits didn't expect though, was that Fort Dawnguard was actually huge. The musty smell that emanated from its walls was a sign of the castle's age,yet from the outside it seemed well preserved. Judging by the stains on the front walls, Menippus guessed that it had seen its fair share of war over the ages. They had just reached the entrance when they were stopped by a male breton, dressed in the same armor Durak was wearing back then, at the inn, the Dawnguard armor.

"Halt! State your business before you enter", he commanded.

Menippus saw Agmaer's skin turn white with the corner of his eye before replying in a calm tone."We wish to join the order. I was told to speak to a man named Isran".

"More kindling for the pyre,eh?", the breton answered while scanning the potential recruits from head to toes. "Very well, you may enter. You will find Isran inside".

* * *

The fort's interior wasn't nearly as impressive as the rest of it,or, to be more precise, the place was a mess. Torn and stained banners, half-destroyed crates and spider webs decorating the walls were just a few of the signs of neglect Menippus managed to notice, before his attention was drawn to a quarrel at the centre of the entrance hall.

"-say I didn't warn you Tolan! But no! You vigilants are always right,aren't you? And now that you finally scratched the surface you come to me like a wet cat asking for my protection!", the redguard with the shaved head and the thick beard was about to explode in any moment.

"Yes you were right Isran!", the angry retort came from the other man, a vigilant of Stendarr as Menippus could tell by the mage robes he wore along with a combination of plate steel gauntlets and boots. "Are you happy now? You were right! The hall is destroyed and everyone is dead because we didn't listen to you. But, please, you must help!"

The man named Isran shook his head in frustration. It was then that he finally noticed the two strangers who had entered his fort. "Who are you?"

Menippus took a few steps towards the redguard before answering. "My name is Menippus. I seek to become a vampire hunter".

"What do you carry that makes you valuable to me?", Isran questioned in his deep voice.

"A good sword", Menippus touched the hilt of his blade, "also, empty pockets".

Isran took a moment to inspect the candidate before nodding. Menippus was tall and well-built. One thing he knew was that he was an experienced warrior, and that's all he cared about. "Welcome aboard, then, fresh meat. And you?", he pointed at the second visitor.

Agmaer stood where he was, petrified, until Menippus subtly gestured him to step forward. "I am Agmaer, sir Isran, I wish to join, too".

"You? Don't make me laugh", Isran snorted, half-surpirsed, half-amused. "I'd be damned if I accepted a dandy into the order".

"I vouch for him", Menippus interrupted in an assertive tone, to Agmaer's surprise and Isran's annoyance. "He is stronger than he looks, in fact, he helped me kill a group of bandits just outside the vale".

"Did anyone ask for your opinion, imperial?", Isran barked. "But, anyway, just because we are short on manpower at the moment, you might as well stay for the time being. Now go find Vori, tall, blonde woman. She will supply you with a crossbow and teach you how to shoot it".

The new recruits started walking to the main hall, where Isran had pointed, when another bark stopped Menippus in his tracks. "Not you, I have another task that needs to be done."

"Now Tolan", the redguard looked at the vigilant who had been watching silently the conversations, "where did you say those fiends are hiding?"

"Dimhollow Crypt, that's what they said after they left the hall. I'm going there myself, as a matter of fact. I _will_ have vengeance on them."

"Tolan, this is suici-"

"I know what you think of us Isran! That we are cowards! That we are not trained for combat", Tolan bursted out, "well coward or not, warrior or not, I'm gonna give these beasts one _hell_ of a fight! It's the least I can do for my fallen brothers and sisters". And with big, decisive steps he stormed out of the fort, slamming the door behind him.

It took Isran a moment to recover from the vigilant's outburst, but when he did, he turned towards Menippus in his usual, monotonous voice. "Now, son, what I ask from you is to take the fight to those bloody fiends. I can't afford to prepare an expedition for that, so you are on your own on this one. I want you to travel to Dimhollow Crypt and find what the vampires are looking for. It's supposed to be some kind of an artifact. Find it and bring it here, to me. Think you can do that?"

"Yeah", the imperial nodded. What about my reward, though?"

"We will talk about that as soon as the mission is completed. Now off you go", he gave Menippus a gentle push on the back, "and keep an eye on that fool, Tolan if you can, don't let him die like a dog".

"Anything else, master?", Menippus grunted under his teeth as he exited the fort.

* * *

"So, how did it go?" the breton that stood guard on the castle's entrance inquired as soon as he saw Menippus again.

"It could have gone better", the imperial answered wryly. "I am a member of the order now, though"

"Welcome, then, brother! My name is Celann. And you are?"

"Menippus", he said shaking his hand. "I'm sorry brother, but I've got no time, Isran has appointed a task to me. Such a nice guy, that Isran. I'll catch you later, though".

Celann chuckled, "you will get used to him eventually, he has a soft side, deep inside".

"I doubt them both", Menippus snorted as he kept walking along the path that led to the canyon behind the mountain.

He had now reached the glacial waterfall while crooning to his favorite song:

 _"Oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked_

 _Money don't grow on trees_

 _I've got bi-"_

"Menippus!"

He turned around just to witness a panting Agmaer running after him.

When he finally reached him, the nord passed him the crossbow he was holding at his right hand. "Here, good for killing vampires, they say", he gasped. Menippus briefly inspected the weapon before strapping it on his back. "Why, thanks Agmaer. Although I believe I need some bolts, to make this work".

"Of course", Agmaer exclaimed, "here", he unstrapped the quiver from his back. After a moment of hesitation, he finally asked: "Umm, Menippus?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you help me? With Isran. Why did you defend me?"

Menippus sighed. "Because I believe everyone deserves a chance to fight. A long time ago, someone did this for me, so I think it was time I did it for someone, too".

Agmaer nodded in sympathy. "Thanks. For everything. I will return the favor, one day."

"No need to", Menippus replied gently. "Though what the old man said back there is not far from the truth. You need to train, Agmaer. You need to train hard and daily, if you want to be a warrior. But more importantly, you need to start believing in yourself, because if you don't", he paused briefly, "well..no one else will. So, temper your axe and tear those ragdolls into pieces!"

"I know", the nord answered in a low voice, "and that's what I intend to do", he added decisively.

"Take care, now brother. Farewell", Menippus waved his hand with a smile on his face.

"Good luck, brother".

Outside the canyon, the imperial found his beloved horse waiting for him. As soon as she spotted him, she ran towards her master, delighted.

Menippus caressed Reica's forehead.

"We've got work to do. And you're _not_ going to like it".

* * *

 **A/N: So, apparently the recruitment wasn't that soft,right?^ I know the story progress is kinda slow atm, but hey, I think character development is equally important. I want to thank you guys for following, favoring, reviewing and reading my story, I really appreciate that. Unfortunately, the next chapter will be a bit late as I have a bunch of important exams for uni (._.) ,but anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and see you guys soon.**

 **Fruitseller out! o7**

Legend:

The Rift: The south-eastern hold of Skyrim.

Windhelm: An ancient nord city, capital of the Eastmarch hold.

Cyrodiil: Located in the center of Tamriel, capital province of the Empire and home of the imperials.(Hello again Oblivion fans o7)

Riften: Capital of the Rift.

Reica: Rowan's loyal horse, now passed on to Menippus.

Agmaer: The guy you meet upon entering the hidden canyon. He really does seem scared of his own shadow.

Isran: The Dawnguard's leader, a stubborn, cynical and short-tempered warrior, former vigilant of Stendarr. Until recently, I hadn't notice that he is not bald, but shaved(what a pity:/)

Tolan: Skyrim's verson of Wolverine,the only vigilant of Stendarr that survived the vampire attack in the hall.

Vori(mentioned): A member of Dawnguard. You shall meet her soon.

Celann: A member of Dawnguard and Isran's old (and only) friend, since the days they were vigilants.


	3. When going gets tough

Dimhollow Crypt was called so for a reason.

As soon as Menippus stepped inside the small cave entrance, he was surrounded by a large wave of darkness and the unsettling feeling of being exposed. Although from the outside it looked like a hole in the mountain, after entering it someone could say that the ancient cave clearly had many secrets hidden in its depths. Menippus' feet were covered in snow and it was only a matter of time before his toes became numb from the penetrating cold, but that was the least of his problems now, as he realised that he had found himself eavesdropping on a pretty lively conversation.

"Those vigilants never know when to give up", a harsh voice echoed, "he just popped up here thinking he could take us all. Their love of their pathetic god has clearly slowed their mind.". Menippus' blood froze, his eyes now wide open. _Could they be talking about-_

"He fought well", a woman's voice replied, "Jeron and Bresoth were no match for him".

"Jeron and Bresoth!", the man scoffed, "if you ask me, those half-wits got exactly what they deserved. Their arrogance had become insufferable", the cracking sound of footsteps on snow was interrupted by the same voice, "also, more food for us".

"We will not feed on anyone until Lokil returns", the woman said aggressively, "those are the orders".

"Fuck the orders! I'm hungry. And that fool Lokil will not find _it_ anytime soon".

Menippus slowly moved his head out of the rock that was covering him to take a swift glance at the direction of the voices. A small ray of sunlight, coming straight through a hole on the crypt's roof helped him identify two silhouettes standing next to a dead body.

"The orders are clear, Asforil", the woman replied coldly, "or do you want me to report your disloyalty to lord Harkon himself?"

"Come on!", Asforil pleaded, "just a mouthful".

Menippus decided that he had enough. Stepping out of the shadows, he raised his crossbow and nimbly armed it with a bolt, before pressing the trigger. With a loud _cruck_ and a recoiling bruise on Menippus' ribs, the bolt whistled through the air until it found its destination, piercing the man's belly, leaving him screaming in agony. The imperial had little time to rejoice though, as he now watched a furious female vampire running towards him with a dagger in her hand and hatred in her orange, burning eyes. Menippus barely managed to block the strike with his shield, before stooping to slice through the back of her knees. The vampire knelt, a grimace of anguish on her face for she knew, seconds before Menippus' sword connected with her neck, that it was over.

"Talking about arrogance..", Menippus mused cleaning his sword on his dead foes as his mentor had taught him.

It didn't take him long to identify the dead vigilant lying beside the vampires, his face lacerated - it _was_ indeed Tolan. This time, though he didn't look angry at all, maybe because his conscience was now clean. Maybe not. The imperial closed his eyelids to cover the empty stare behind them and with a sigh he murmured: "Strength and honor".

He had already failed the first part of his mission and although he wouldn't ever openly admit it to himself, he had clearly no idea what the second was, what he was looking for. _Well, there is only one way to find out, I have to keep going._

* * *

Dimhollow Crypt was definitely called so for a reason.

The cave was filled with all kinds of enemies. Draugrs, giant spiders, vampires and skeletons gave Menippus a rough time while he kept descending in the depths of this ancient place. What unsettled him most, though, were the dogs that accompanied the vampires -somehow the term 'dog' was just a euphemism-. Their hairless, black skin appeared to be necrotizing, with several patches of black muscle tissue exposed. It was also so thin, that it allowed the hound's skeletal structure to be seen. Finally, their head was decorated with two big, glowing red eyes and a lipless mouth filled with dozens of sharp, jagged teeth. Menippus had already got a taste of their fury, as his right leg was now covered in crimson and he was limping. He never really had any talent at restoration, or magic in general, so the best he could do was to pour the last drops of his healing potion in the wound and strap it with a small piece of cloth from his shirt. It wasn't much, but it would probably be enough to get him going again, or so he thought.

As he took a few more steps forward, he found himself standing on a balcony, looking downwards at what seemed to be a circular platform surrounded by water and decorated with large, stone arcs _. This has to be the room_. To his right, he noticed the stairs that led to the bridge, but his attention was immediately drawn to the two figures standing on it, barely visible in the dim light.

"Last chance, vigilant. How does the mechanism work? Speak or die!"

"I have nothing to tell you!", the audacious answer was followed by the familiar sound of steel tearing through flesh and a loud splash as the vigilant's body dropped off the bridge and met the water.

Menippus felt his heartbeat rise, it was time for action. But, before he could make a move, a sudden force on the back of his head sent him flying until his forehead crashed on the marble rail of the balcony. The last thing he saw was a tall, bare-chested, muscular figure standing in front of him and then everything went black.

* * *

 _"Left. Left. Right. Left", the familiar voice's commands were accompanied by the clanking sound of steel meeting steel. "Duck. Right. Left", the song kept going and the dancers were giving their best for this performance. The setting sun that bathed the courtyard of the cyrodillic house was their maestro and the mockingbirds on the trees their lively audience. "Block. Again. Right. Duck". Menippus was fast, but his opponent was even faster, he looked invulnerable, his black ponytail wavering in the air as if to taunt him. The panting imperial tried hard to keep up with the old man's pace but it was only a matter of time before he ran out of fuel. "Stronger", the redguard shouted as his strike was parried, "blo-"_

 _"Master Rowan", the song was abruptly interrupted by a sweaty young man running towards the dancers, his long black hair was wet and messy._

 _"How many times have I told you to not interrupt me while I'm training, Lucius?", the irritated redguard barked._

 _"Excuse me, sir", the young man apologized, "but it's important. Here", he added, passing him a small piece of paper with shaking hands._

 _Rowan briefly inspected the message before drawing his full attention to its content. A small frown appeared on his scarred face while reading, a sign of bad things to come as Menippus interpreted it._

 _"What is it, Rowan?", the imperial inquired, his curiosity getting the better of him._

 _The redguard's eyes were still pinned on the note as he spoke, "I need to go "._

 _"Where? I'm coming with you!"_

 _"No, you don't", he answered assertively, "there is no time", he paused for a moment before putting a hand on Menippus' shoulder. "Pack your bags, clean your sword and meet me at Windward Shack, in Skyrim. I will be waiting for you there and I will explain everything". All Menippus could do was to give a sad nod, as he watched his mentor walking hastily out of the courtyard, heading for the stables. One thing he had learnt was that there was no way he could change the old redguard's mind. The quiet, rejuvenating cyrodillic afternoon had turned into an ominous one in no time and the warm wind that caressed Menippus' bare hands gave way to a cold breeze and a squeeze among his wrists. The vision of his home was slowly fading and Menippus could swear he heard the sound of water and the voice of a man._

* * *

"..check for survivors and bring anyone who still draws breath here", the voice was muffled and distant. "Meanwhile, I will deal with this scrub".

When Menippus finally opened his eyes, he found himself sitting on the cold ground with his back facing a tubal construction. He knew where he was: The circular platform in the center of the cavern. He could tell by the multiple stone arcs that surrounded the island and the furrows that marked the ground and led to the center of the platform, to where he was sitting. It took him some seconds to recognize the man standing in front of him, the one who killed the last vigilant in the cave. His long, red hair and well-trimmed beard were outshone by the wide, sardonic smile on his lips and the glow in his orange eyes. Menippus instantly went for his sword but he bitterly realized that his hands were bound.

"Ah, the tunnel rat finally wakes up", the vampire mocked. "I thought I'd never have the honor to meet you. Now, shall I have your name, esteemed stranger?", he asked while sharpening his nails with a small dagger.

"You first", Menippus grunted.

A chuckle echoed through the room, "anything for the kind guest", the vampire clearly liked to toy with his food. "I am Lokil, and I will be entertaining you today. And you are?"

"I am your dad, Lokil. Have I changed that much?", the imperial replied with a sly grin.

A trace of anger appeared in Lokil's face for a split second before his hand slapped Menippus twice. "I'm glad you're in the joking mood, rat, us two could have a wonderful evening here", he said smiling. "Now tell me", he added, "you are not one of those fools, not dressed in those pathetic robes, not acting like them.. Who sent you then?"

"No one!", Menippus answered half-insulted, half-amused, "Is it a crime against the law for a father to look after his son?"

Lokil's fury was now evident as he slowly pushed his dagger against Menippus' chest, a red line on his skin following its trail. "Let's make this even simpler, funny guy", he murmured showing his sharp teeth, "either you start talking or I have no other choice but to flay you alive. Who sent you?"

Menippus was now laughing, "kiss my ass, Lokil, I'm pretty sure it's the only thing you are good at".

The vampire gritted his teeth as he dragged the dagger along the imperial's neck, cutting him deep and stopping just inches before his jugular vein. Menippus growled but his maniac grin didn't leave his lips. "I guess you don't need that, right?", Lokil pointed with his finger, but then his face instantly shone as he removed the dagger from Menippus' neck and drove it dangerously close to the imperial's genitals. "Or maybe this? Yes", he answered his own question, "maybe I should cut this off, put an end to you _fucking_ with me", he spat.

With the dagger threatening his manhood, Menippus finally broke: "I'll tell you! Just stop", he exclaimed lowering his head slightly before muttering under his teeth. The frustration in Lokil's face gave way to an impatient smile, like a hungry dog waiting to eat its master's leftovers. He slowly leaned his head close to Menippus', so as to hear what he had to say.

And then a lot of things happened at the same time.

Menippus suddenly raised his head and spat in the vampire's face before thrusting forward to headbutt him. Lokil instantly flinched, but had little to no time to react as the imperial continued his assault with a knee kick on his genitals. Lokil, who now growled in anguish tried to keep his balance by pushing his hand against the small pillar that was behind Menippus, though the imperial was pretty sure that he immediately regretted it. As soon as the vampire's palm came in touch with the pillar's edge, a spike darted out of its top impaling his hand and making him scream in horror. Menippus took advantage of the situation and stood up, bringing his bound hands in front of Lokil's head before surrounding his neck with the rope. With a loud roar, he pulled the man's neck as strong and as hard as he could towards the ground and against his back. Lokil maniacally struggled to set himself loose, but the imperial's grip was unbreakable and his breaths had already gotten shorter and weaker. Realizing his foe's impotence, Menippus strengthened his resolve and pulled even harder until the unlucky vampire remained still and could breathe no more.

"See son?", he snorted while cutting himself free with Lokil's dagger, "I've always told you not to play with long, thick things".

Satisfied with himself, Menippus took a moment to catch his breath and inspect the room around him. He was surprised to find out that purple smoke was now emanating from the furrows in the ground, forming a circle around the pillar at the center _. I'm pretty sure that wasn't here last time I checked._ Menippus also noticed a number of braziers interrupting the paths that the furrows marked on the ground, but he didn't have a clue what purpose they served. _I guess they are just decorative, vampires obviously must have a thing for conspicuous ritual places,_ he thought walked around the room, trying to identify something that would lead him to the artifact he was looking, but in vain. There was nothing that could be the hiding place for it, nor any kind of secret lever that opened a door somewhere. As he was now closely inspecting the pillar for a switch, his attention was drawn to the bridge:

"Boss? There are no survivors, boss", the deep voice echoed throughout the cavern.

A small pause and a glance at the dead body on the platform was enough for the bare-chested man to realize what had happened. With a war cry, the huge warrior charged towards Menippus, like a bull gone berserk. The imperial didn't stay idle though, as he immediately drew his crossbow and armed it with a bolt. "Payback time, bitch", he muttered under his breath. The projectile buried itself in the man's pectorals, earning a loud roar from him, before he lost his footing and crashed on a brazier, making it slip through the furrow. Menippus sprinted towards his incapacitated foe, not giving him the time to recover, and skewered him decisively with his sword.

After taking a deep breath -and cleaning his sword ,of course-, the imperial stepped towards the brazier that had been moved, a curious look on his face as he noticed that it was now aflame and purple smoke was dancing lively on its surface. And then he knew what he had to do.

Moving the braziers was easier than he thought, most of them just needed a tiny push to slide through the furrows. As soon as the last brazier got in place, the ground around the inner circle of the platform was lowered, slowly giving way to reveal a monolith hidden under the pillar in front of Menippus' bare eyes, who now stood there, dumbfounded. He carefully approached the stone and, after thoroughly inspecting it from the sides, he figured that one of its walls was a little loose. He gently pushed the wall off it, but what he discovered inside was the last thing he expected to find.

It was a woman.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys, it's been a while! I'm sorry for not updating sooner but I've been really busy lately. This mission is really a piece of cake in the game, once you solve the puzzle at the end so i decided that no, Menippus will not have an easy time getting to that girl. Hopefully we are going to meet Serana in the next chapter so stay tuned! Also, i would like to thank RavenOfTheWinds for taking the time to review this story and, as always, I'm looking forward to reading your opinions and criticism.**

 **fruitseller out! o7**

Legend:

Jeron: A vampire member of Lokil's party

Bresoth: Same

Asforil: Same(his name is not mentioned in the game, i just decided to give him one)

Harkon: Seriously?

Lokil: Captain of the group of vampires that were sent to free Serana, killing vigilants is his everyday life.

Lucius: OC. One of Rowan's messengers.


	4. Damned if you do

The astonished imperial instinctively lunged at the mysterious woman in front of him just as she was about to lose her balance and meet the ground. With a gentle, yet firm grip he helped her get on her feet, and for that, he was rewarded with a yawn, -the woman had just been awoken.

"Ughh.. where is..", she managed to mumble while rubbing her eyes before suddenly raising her head to face him. Menippus returned the gaze. His eyes wandered on the braids that decorated her black hair, granting it just enough length to hug her shoulders, the glowing orange eyes that burned like fire, then her long, lush lips. Her cheekbones were high and her nose was delicate. She was dressed in an old-fashioned red tunic, covered with black leather straps around her torso that left a bit of her cleavage uncovered, -Menippus tried hard not to linger on that part-, and she wore a pair of leather pants that complimented her attractive body. Finally, her shoulders were covered by a black cloak with a hood fastened to it with a metallic clasp. The woman's skin was pale, was it because she was a nord or-?

"Who sent you?", she continued in her smooth, calm voice now growing in strength.

Menippus shrugged, "everyone here keeps asking me that question. Who did you expect?"

"Someone like me, at least", the woman replied hesitatingly.

"So, you, too, are a-"

"Vampire. Yes.", she nodded.

The confession was followed by a brief pause before Menippus drew his sword and placed the pointy end under the woman's chin. "Give me a good reason why I shouldn't kill you on the spot."

Despite her life being directly threatened, the woman didn't move a muscle, nor did the unreadable expression on her face change. She remained still, her glowing eyes pinned on his. "I don't have one", she answered nonchalantly, "kill me, and you will have killed just another vampire, your boss will be pleased and you might even get a promotion, then off to be his lap dog again".

With a leer, Menippus prepared his hand for the strike, his sword thirsty for undead blood when his eyes finally caught the shiny thing on her back. He could easily tell what it was, -after all, the story of the infamous Grey Fox and the infiltration of the Imperial Palace in order to steal one of them was one of his absolute favourites-, it was an Elder Scroll. Informed as he was, though, Menippus had never ever seen one of them, hence his sword hand was now shaking, as was his voice.

"I..Is that an Elder scroll?", he whispered with an incredulous expression on his face that almost made the vampire laugh.

"Yeah, it is", she folded her arms on her chest, "and it's mine".

 _So this is what the vampires are looking for._ "Give it to me and I will let you go, you have my word", the imperial commanded.

The woman shook her head. "No. You might as well kill me".

There was no telling what was going on inside Menippus' head at the moment. He knew he had succeeded in finding the requested artifact, he knew that it was truly important and yet, after all the trouble he had been through to reach it, he now couldn't simply raise his hand to kill the incapacitated, stubborn vampire that stood between him and his prize. He had already killed a dozen of them in that cave, but that pretty face in front of him put his pride as a vampire hunter at stake. With all the willpower he could muster, he strengthened his grip on the sword.

"That wound"

With his spare hand, Menippus traced the deep cut on his neck that the vampire was pointing at, Lokil's gift. "What of it?", he asked confused, though a tiny part inside him was glad that he was distracted from what he was about to do.

"It's infected", she said calmly.

"Bullshit", he spat, "I just got it. Are you trying to fool me, vampire?"

The mysterious woman rolled her eyes. "No point trying to fool a fool", she answered in an annoyed tone, "but what I meant is that you have contacted vampirism. And unless you clean it, you are going to join our 'blight' soon".

"You're lying!", Menippus shouted.

The vampire raised an eyebrow, "wait and see then".

She was clearly enjoying herself as the imperial started looking for a potion on his belt. The only thing he found was the empty flask of a healing potion.

"What kind of man decides to raid a cave filled with vampires without having at least one potion of cure disease on him?", she inquired with an amused expression on her face.

"A shitty one obviously", the imperial admitted with a grunt while fixing his belt. His inexperience with vampires would cost him his life, if he couldn't find a vendor soon. The realisation made his blood freeze.

The honest answer was met with a chuckle by the vampire before her tone turned serious, "Listen, I know a spell that will clean your wound and take the poison away. I can help you".

Menippus looked at the woman suspiciously, "why would a vampire even know such a spell?"

"I never wanted my victims turned into what I am, but I also needed to feed. So after I was done with them I would cast that spell on their wound, case closed. I guess I am a weirdo, after all", she shrugged with a smile.

The imperial took his time looking straight into her glowing eyes, trying to discover her real intentions. _Is she telling the truth?_

"Do it". _Sure as hell I'm gonna regret that._

"On one condition", the woman added. "You let me go".

Silence spread across the room once more. Menippus could tell when he was outbid and this was one of those cases. He definitely couldn't risk not finding the potion he needed and between becoming a vampire and being scolded or fired by Isran, he preferred the latter.

"You got yourself a deal".

With a nod, the vampire put one hand on the imperial's shoulder and one on his wound. "Stay still now". All of a sudden, orange sparks began to fly from the woman's hand and landed straight onto the open skin. Menippus felt a strange warmth surround his body, like he just had a hot bath on a cold winter day back in Cyrodil. Was it the spell or the woman's breath that was now standing a few inches away from him? And, _gods_ , she smelled nice, even though she was locked in a tomb for some time.

"Done!", the vampire exclaimed with a smile.

"Ughh..thanks..I guess", he answered trying to look like he didn't care much.

"I'm Serana, by the way".

"I'm Menippus".

"So, Menippus, do you mind if I walk with you to the exit? I've been sleeping here for a while and don't quite remember the place anymore".

The imperial sighed, "and here I was, thinking _you_ would know the way out".

"Your guess is as good as mine", she shrugged.

"Brilliant! This way then".

* * *

The trip to the exit was longer than the two peculiar companions had predicted, as they were often impeded by enemies or traps set on the ground. Menippus was surprised to see that some of the stone statues that were decorating the rooms ahead would come to life and attack upon walking close to them. Serana did explain him though, that those creatures were called gargoyles, and they were magical constructions made by vampires to be used as sentinels. Menippus also didn't fail to notice the vampire's combat skills. Even though she was petite, Serana had a strong hand and was equally adept at destruction magic, often summoning ice spikes or unleashing lightning bolts to stun her enemies.

"You're pretty good at this", he exclaimed after Serana finished off a wolf pack with an ice spike. "Where did you learn to fight?"

The vampire looked away, as if trying to recall a long lost memory. "My mother taught me the basics of destruction a long time ago, before she locked me here".

Menippus' face took an incredulous expression, his curiosity growing, " _She_ locked you? Why would she do that?"

"It's..a long story", Serana met his inquiring glance, "and I would not like to tell it, especially not to you".

Menippus raised his hands in defense, "that's fine..I understand". After a brief pause though, he broke the silence again, not being able to contain his curiosity. "So how long have you been trapped in here, anyways?"

"Let me see", she said skeptically while folding her hands on her chest once more, "hmm..hard to tell. Who is Skyrim's high king?"

"That is actually a matter of debate", he snorted, "and by debate, I mean the civil war between the two candidates, in order to prove which one of them has the smaller dick".

Serana laughed, "Good to know things haven't got boring since I left. So who are the candidates?"

"Well..the rebellion favor a man named Ulfric Stormcloak, who murdered the previous high king", his explanation making Serana raise an eyebrow, "and the empire supports the late king's wife, Elisif the Fair."

"I am pretty sure that Elisif has no dick, though", she said with a sly smile.

"So does Ulfric".

"And who do _you_ support?", she pointed at him.

Menippus cocked his head, "myself, of course! Because no one else-", he stopped the moment he saw Serana pressing a finger on her lips. "What is it?", he whispered, before following her finger with his eyes.

They had just reached a large, amphitheatric room filled with sleeping draugrs that sat on large thrones.

"Maybe we can sneak past them", she whispered back.

"Forget it", he shook his head, "I'm not good at sneaking and that armor is not helping much, either".

The vampire rolled her eyes. "Is there _something_ you are good at, anyways?", she snarled.

Both companions held their breaths as the nearest draugr slowly rose up, before turning towards the source of the voice that awakened it from its slumber. Menippus wasted no time and before the undead creature could raise his hand to strike, his sword was buried in its belly. Serana finished the job, throwing an ice spike straight through its head, sending it flying. Their little skirmish though, had alerted the rest of the sleepers, who were now up and more eager than ever to fight.

"I take the right side, you take the left", Menippus shouted as he charged towards a group of enemies with his shield raised and held in front of his head, his sheer momentum scattering the draugrs that were on his way. With his sword, he parried a strike aiming for his head while his shield pushed the foe away and gave him the time to finish it off. Meanwhile, Serana was busy fighting a pair of draugrs on her own, her dagger cutting through flesh as she dodged and ducked. With her left hand, she prepared an ice spike and sent it flying towards a charging draugr, while with her dagger she blocked a weak strike that targeted her torso, before stabbing her foe on the thigh.

Menippus took a second to watch the vampire fight, her pretty face now sweaty and her hands moving nimbly and accurately as she exploited their opponent's weak spots. He also did notice though the large hulking draugr that was running towards her, aiming to blindside her and Menippus knew what he had to do. With every bit of power left in him, he closed the gap and dove in an attempt to tackle the draugr, just as it was about to use its ancient nord shout to tear Serana apart. The draugr fell to the ground violently before Menippus impaled it twice with his sword, while the wild shout ended up hitting the wall. Serana, who was too busy finishing off the group of undead warriors she was fighting and until then oblivious to what was happening behind her back, turned around to see a panting Menippus lying on top of the dead draugr captain.

" _Is there something you are good at anyways_?", the imperial mimicked her voice as if to respond to her surprised face. "You're welcome by the way", he added as he stood on his ground and kicked the dead draugr away.

Serana didn't say a word.

* * *

Their first step outside resulted in their feet being sunk on a thick layer of snow. "This must be the beautiful Skyrim weather I've always heard about", Serana mused putting her hood on.

Menippus turned around, trying to meet her gaze. "So this is where our paths diverge". After a brief moment of tension, the vampire silently noded. "Farewell, Serana. I hope I don't meet you again, because it won't be for good".

He had already turned his back on her when she answered, not sure if he could hear her, "Farewell Menippus". And as she watched his blonde hair being showered in heavy snowflakes while he grew distant, her undead heart gave a single beat.

* * *

It had been an hour or so since Menippus had parted with the strange vampire. His destination was now Dawnstar, this is where Reica was stabled, but the heavy snowfall that pounded his entire body proved to be quite the obstacle. Since he was also hungry, he decided that he would have a small break for rest and food. He found shelter under the thick trunk of a pine tree before searching his belt for a small pouch filled with snowberries, his favourite fruit. _So what will be my excuse to Isran for today's failure? Hmm..a vampire dog stole the artifact and ran before I could set my hands on it? No..that's too fake. The vampires tortured me to death without success and left me for dead but I escaped? No, I do not have enough marks on my face, he won't buy it. A giant drau-_ , his thoughts were interrupted by a slight, yet audible sound of cracking branches coming from a bush just some feet away from him.

"Who's there?", he yelled while carefully approaching the bush. He grabbed a snowberry from his pouch and threw it at the direction of the noise.

"Ouch", a woman's voice exclaimed. "Hey it's me!"A familiar figure emerged from the bush, it was none other than Serana.

"What the-, were you following me?", Menippus barked.

"Umm..no, but-"

"I set you free, helped you get out of that fucking cave and now you want to _feed_ on me?"

"No!", she shouted, before going back to her usual, calm self, "I..".

"Then why are you stalking me?", he glared at her.

"I..I'm lost", she said hesitatingly. "I had been trapped in that tomb for ages and now I don't remember the way home". Seeing his face soften, she continued, "look, I know you don't like me, but please, can you take me home, at least?"

Menippus was unsure whether his astonished face was caused by her sheer audacity or him actually considering her request. His day clearly couldn't get any worse than this.

"Fine, I'll take you home", he snarled shaking his head in disbelief. "Where do you live?"

With a smile that illuminated her face, Serana answered, "I live on an island near Solitude. To the north of the coast".

"That's gonna be a trip", he mused. "We're off to Dawnstar, first, where I have left my horse, then we ride along the northern coast".

"But I've never ridden a horse before", she said reluctantly.

"Well, I hope you get used to it quickly then because I'm not going to Solitude on foot".

With a sigh, she finally agreed. "Alright. Let's go".

* * *

 **A/N: She has finally arrived guys! Welp, their first acquaintance wasn't ideal, I guess, but that was also my reaction when I first met Serana in the game. Also, yes, Menippus is a savage at times, i won't deny it. As always thanks for reading, favouring, following and reviewing and join me next chapter as we meet Serana's lovely father.**

 **fruitseller out! o7**

Legend

Serana: Not gonna spoil. Just a beautiful vampire that is trapped in a tomb for unknown reasons^

Gray Fox: Leader of the thieves guild in TES 4:Oblivion and seriously that last quest was just..impeccable.

Ulfric Stormcloak: Leader of the rebellion, you meet him at the very beginning of the game(he is the prisoner who has his mouth tied). Survives the attack in Helgen.

Elisif the fair: Solitude's jarl, she clearly doesn't have a talent for politics, yet..

The Empire: Stop right there criminal scum!


	5. Like father, like daughter

"How do you travel on this thing, anyways?", she protested while trying to hold herself on horseback by wrapping her arms around Menippus' chest. "I swear it's the most inconvenient method of transportation there i- OUCH!", the exclamation caused by the sudden change of Reica's pace was followed by a mumble that the imperial could hardly hear, but made a faint smile appear on his lips nevertheless. Serana's firm grip on his chest made his lungs gasp for air. One thing Menippus had learnt through his experience in Dimhollow Crypt was that vampires were notorious for good reason. They _did_ have superhuman strength and heightened senses and they would probably neutralize any untrained foe that opposed them without batting an eye. The thought made him nervous, but he tried to keep himself composed, ignoring the fact that such a creature was tied to his back with her fangs just inches away from his neck.

"My apologies milady, but the royal cart is currently under the process of maintenance", he spoke in a noble tone, trying to relax the tension created by his own thoughts. "We are sorry for the inconvenience and hope you have an excellent trip with Reica lines".

"Very funny", Serana stuck her face on Menippus' back trying to conceal her smile, "but I'm definitely not a lady".

"And I'm definitely not your cart driver", he snapped, "so any further complaints about your transportation should be addressed to your boyfriend, milady".

Serana raised an eyebrow. "Now that's a subtle way to ask if I have a boyfriend".

"Wha-", Menippus turned his head around to face her with an incredulous look. "You flatter yourself, _vampire_ ", he snarled. _Gods, she's smart._

Serana chuckled, "relax, _vampire hunter_ , it was a joke. Besides", she added without abandoning the amused expression on her face, "even if I did have a boyfriend, I don't think he would be waiting for me to return after all those years".

"Nah, probably not", he answered after a brief pause.

The smile on Serana's face instantly disappeared, as if it was never there."You know how to cheer people up, don't you?", she said wryly.

Menippus sighed. "I'm just being realistic, that's all", and with a shrug he added, "I mean, it's been so many years as you say".

"When you love someone, you stay", she snapped. "Simple as that".

"Simple?", the imperial questioned in a serious tone. "Define love".

The vampire remained silent for a second. "It's..", she stammered, "It's when you care deeply for someone and try to do things for him and-", she paused again trying to organize her thoughts.

Menippus shook his head with a smile. "See? There is no definition", turning his head again to meet her gaze. "So, the correct phrase would be: If you stayed, then you truly loved someone".

A deep wave of silence spread amongst the two travellers, disturbed only by the rhythmical sound of horseshoes being buried in the deep snow as Reica kept galloping across the Northern Coast.

The rest of the journey was rather uneventful, but for the occasional groans each time a snowflake connected with Serana's eyes. Menippus, on the other hand was silent, trying to focus on the road ahead instead of the heavy snowfall that pounded them both and crippled his vision. They had been travelling for two hours straight until he managed to recognize a familiar fortress built on the hill to his left, a city to be more precise. It was Solitude. Its thick, stone walls stood guard against the disastrous weather along with the numerous enemies the Empire had lately made. Menippus had only visited the Capital once, but he could admit that the city was captivating. The picturesque cobblestone streets, the rich flora that decorated the gardens, the noble houses, they all served as a diversion, though, to conceal the city's rotten core. Because it _was_ corrupted to the bone.

"That has to be Solitude , right?", Serana broke the silence as soon as she noticed her companion turning his head towards the city. "It hasn't changed a bit".

"Yeah, the Capital is always charming", Menippus nodded. "How far off are we?"

"Wait..", Serana's eyes instantly widened before exclaiming, "Solitude is the Capital now? I thought it was Windhelm!"

Menippus turned his head around to give her a desperate look. "You really need to catch up to the world, don't you?"

The vampire responded at once, half-insulted, half-amused, "I apologize for being locked up in a cave for an eternity. And, _fact_ , I see something there", she added pointing to the road ahead.

Menippus narrowed his eyes in an effort to scrutinize the area. "Where? I can't see shit".

"Maybe it's because you are not a vampire", she said teasingly. "There are three travellers, one of them in golden armor, one in blue robes with a hood, and one in rags".

Menippus didn't have to hear more, he knew what this was all about. "The Thalmor", he muttered.

"The who?"

"High Elves who represent the Aldmeri Dominion", he explained before sighing. "They are extremists who want to unite all the provinces of Tamriel under their banner".

"Really?", Serana exclaimed astounded.

"Yeah", he answered wryly. "They are the ones pulling the strings behind the civil war, trying to apply the golden rule: Divide and conquer".

After a brief pause, Serana spoke again. "What are they doing here?"

"I guess they are going to interrogate the poor prisoner", Menippus shrugged before exclaiming, "Yeah I see them now, too".

The vampire lowered her head. "Unlucky guy".

"Maybe his luck has just changed", the imperial grunted before gesturing Reica to halt. "Let's get the bastards!", he snapped angrily.

Serana raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Do we have a plan?"

The imperial took a second to process his thought before responding in an assertive tone. "Can you snipe the wizard? The one in blue robes. With one of your ice spikes".

"Yes, I could do that", she nodded while cold fume began to emanate from her right hand.

"Good. On three then", he whispered. "One..Two.."

Serana made a fist, surrounding the fume inside her palm-

"Three!", the imperial shouted moving his body sideways so as to free the woman's field of vision. Serana immediately stretched her hand, removing the spell and the now sturdy and thick ice spike connected with the wizard's neck after a brief flight. The Thalmor Justiciar didn't even have time to squeal, for he was dead before he met the ground, as the spike had ruptured his medulla. His companion though was quick to react, turning around to face their attackers.

"Charge!", Menippus roared as he spurred his horse.

The high elf panicked at the sight of the rampageous, white horse running at him and began to flee, but Menippus' sword ended his short run, decapitating him.

* * *

" _You_?"

"Me", Menippus replied mockingly to the astonished prisoner while releasing him from his bonds.

"I know you!", he exclaimed in his deep voice.

"Well, I don't!", he exclaimed back, hoping that the reason why he had recognized him was not the one he suspected.

"We were prisoners back then, in Helgen", he said wryly. "About to be executed by the imperials. My name is Ralof".

Menippus eyes widened. This was not what he expected. And come to think about it, the man in front of him did look familiar after all. His long blonde hair and blue eyes, along with his well-trimmed beard and his muscular build reminded him of the man from Riverwood who spoke about honor and loyalty during their last meant journey to Helgen.

"It's a small world, it seems, Ralof", he smiled at the nord in front of him. "How did you end up here?"

"The Thalmor raided our camp, without a warning, without a cause", he sighed before adding with a shrug, "I was the only one who made it so they reserved a special treatment for me. But that's not going to happen, thanks to you and your companion, friend".

"I am Menippus and she is Serana", the imperial announced pointing at the woman standing next to him.

"I owe you guys one, for saving my life", the nord said with a bow. "If you ever need anything, come seek me. I will be at the Palace of the Kings".

"I'll keep that in mind", Menippus nodded shaking his hand.

"Farewell friends. And thank you".

* * *

After two more hours on Reica's back, Menippus and Serana finally reached the shore the vampire had spoken about. To their relief, they found a boat waiting for them that could take them to the island Serana had mentioned. She had offered to share the rows, but the imperial stubbornly refused- after all rowing was no task for a pretty woman-, _no, scratch that last part,_ so Serana spent her time wondering about what had happened in Helgen back then and the execution the two men were talking about. Curious as she was though, she could never find the courage to ask the imperial, he would probably drop the subject anyways.

As the boat kept crossing the cold northern waters, the shape of a castle appeared through the fog. Menippus was the first to notice, as he was facing the direction he was rowing to.

"You never mentioned you were living in a castle", he remarked looking straight into Serana's glowing eyes.

Upon hearing his little comment, Serana turned around to see her home before returning her gaze to Menippus again. "I didn't want you to think I'm the little daddy's girl type of woman", she said while crossing her arms on her chest.

"But it turns out you are, milady", Menippus replied with a sly grin.

"Drop it", she snarled with a glare.

"I meant no insult, milady. Please forgive this humble servant of yours".

Serana rolled her eyes. "Why do you always have to be so annoying?"

They were interrupted when the boat bumped against the coast's sand. They climbed out and Menippus dragged the boat to the shore, so that it wouldn't float away.

"So here we are..", Serana sighed while looking at her home. "Home, sweet..castle".

Menippus looked at it in awe. It wasn't as big as Fort Dawnguard, but it was well preserved except from a tower that was partially collapsed. A stone bridge decorated with gargoyles connected the shore with the castle's gates.

"So.. before we go in", Serana trailed off.

"Yeah?", the imperial questioned with a curious expression on his face.

"I want you to know that I'm really grateful for bringing me here", she spoke in a low voice, "but after that, I think I'm going on my own for a while".

Menippus' curiosity intensified. "I think that was the plan, anyways", he remarked. "Unless I'm missing something".

Serana was now clearly flustered. "No, no you aren't", she shook her head. "So, let's keep moving".

 _What the fuck?_

The imperial took a moment to watch the vampire cross the bridge before following her lead with a frown on his face while making sure to keep his distance from the gargoyles, just in case they decided to come to life. As they neared the gate, the watchman approached them with his sword drown, but his angry face was replaced with a shocked one as soon as he noticed Serana.

"Don't make me regret letting you pass", he snapped at Menippus while pulling the lever that controlled the gate.

 _Kinda wish I could stay out of this vampire nest anyways.._ , he thought while nodding at the guard.

The moment they stepped foot in the castle, an altmer that was standing near the gates practically jumped in front of them, blocking their path.

"How dare you trespass here?", he hissed. "Wait..", he added in disbelief, "Serana? Is that truly you? I can't believe my eyes!". The woman hardly had any time to respond as the altmer had already rushed to the balcony in front of them.

"My lord, everyone!", he shouted, "Serana has returned!"

"I guess I'm expected", Serana remarked wryly with a shrug.

Menippus followed her down the stairs that connected the balcony with the castle's main hall. Across the room, there were two long tables, opposite to each other and complemented by a third one at the far end of the hall; the feast, however did not include regular food but bloodied organs, dead bodies and vials filled with blood. As they walked towards the table at the end of the room, Menippus could feel the eyes of everyone inside fixed on him, filled with curiosity or the unsettling feeling of him being their dinner. At the center of the table, a man with black hair and a beard that surrounded his mouth stood up, his arms outstretched. It wasn't hard to tell who he was, not only by the physical resemblance he shared with Serana, but also by the way he was dressed and the aura of power he emitted. _Like father, like daughter._

"Ah,my long lost daughter finally returns", he spoke with a smile on his face, though not a genuine one. "I trust you have my Elder Scroll?"

 _Now that's a warm welcome_ , Menippus thought before glancing at Serana to see her reaction.

"After all those years this is the first thing you ask me?", Serana replied in an irritated tone. "Yes, I have the scroll".

"Of course I'm delighted to see you, my daughter. Must I really say the words aloud?", he tried to excuse himself. "Ah, if only your traitor mother was here, I would let her watch this reunion before putting her head on a spike", he added with an even bigger smile than before. Menippus could swear that behind Serana's unreadable face he noticed for a split second something he hadn't seen before: sorrow. "Now tell me", the elder vampire continued turning to face the imperial, "who is this mortal you brought to our hall?"

"He is my savior, the one who set me free", she exclaimed.

"Ah, for my daughter's safe return, you have my gratitude", he said inspecting Menippus thoroughly. "Now tell me, what is your name?"

"You are my host", he replied in a clear, steady voice. "You should introduce yourself first".

The complete silence that ruled the hall beforehand was interrupted by whispers amongst the vampires who were astounded by the audacity of the stranger. The vampire lord though, continued as if nothing had happened.

"Of course, where are my manners? I am Harkon, lord of this court".

"My name is Ralof of Riverwood", Menippus lied. With the edge of his eye, he noticed Serana turn her attention to him.

"Ralof of Riverwood", Harkon repeated with an interested expression. "By now, I guess my daughter will have told you what we are".

"You are vampires", Menippus nodded.

"Not just vampires", the vampire lord swiftly replied, raising his voice. "We are among the oldest and most powerful vampires in Skyrim".

"I see", Menippus said nonchalantly. "So what happens now?"

"For the favor you have done me, you shall be rewarded. I can offer you anything you ask, within reason, of course".

Menippus took his time to think before answering. "I want something that will let me walk out of this island alive".

Harkon was clearly surprised by his guest's request. "There is but one thing I can offer then", he announced. "My blood. Take it and you will walk as lion among sheep", he said dramatically. "Men will tremble at your approach and you will never fear death again".

"And if I refuse?"

"Then you are prey, like all mortals", he said coldly. "Perhaps you need some convincing".

The moment he said that, Harkon was shrouded in a mist of blood that started floating in the air while two skeletal wings sprouted off his back and his fingers were replaced by claws. When the mist exploded, Menippus could see a vampiric-like beast in front of him, its naked, grey skin was only covered in the area of the genitals by a crimson piece of cloth and it wore a golden crown on top of its head.

"Behold the power", he shouted, his voice unchanged. "Now, make your choice".

The answer was immediate. "I refuse your offer".

"Then it is time to die!"

"NO!"

Serana decided that she had enough. She jumped in front of the imperial with her hands outstretched, facing her father. "Father he saved me! You can't kill him", she yelled.

Harkon was irritated by his daughter's unjustified reaction. "My daughter, stay out of this, please".

"Do it for me", she pleaded.

"Vingalmo", he shouted at the altmer that had previously welcomed them to the court. "Take him to the chamber".

Before the high elf could lay his hands on Menippus tough, Serana had already dashed to the nearest window, her stretched hand holding the Elder Scroll out of it.

"If he dies, the Scroll falls into the sea".

A wave of loud whispers and erratic mumbling spread across the hall once more, as everyone's eyes were pinned on the vampire lord's daughter.

Harkon wasn't able to contain his anger anymore. "Same _stubbornness_ , same _disobedience",_ he hissed. "Your mother's influence is still strong in you. This is the last time I will allow something like this to happen. As for you", he turned to Menippus, raising his hand, "consider yourself lucky. I banish you".

The last thing Menippus saw was a purple sphere of magic heading towards him and then it all went black.

* * *

 **A/N: Merry Christmas ladies and gents!(I know I'm a bit late but..shit happens) and a happy new year! I hope you all had a nice holiday. To the story now, I thought I should end it here with Harkon killing Menippus just to troll you guys but.. nah. As for Ralof, he is definitely gonna have more screen time in the future, so if you are a fan stay tuned. And if not, well who doesn't like Ralof anyways, he is a cool guy. As always, thank you for supporting my effort and see you all soon!**

 **fruitseller out! o7**

Legend:

The Aldmeri Dominion: F these guys.

Thalmor Justiciar: The wizards on blue robes that use shock magic to piss you off, while you deal with their bruisers. F them too.

Ralof: The guy that sits opposite of you when you start the game. He is truly loyal to Ulfric and his cause and faces his upcoming death with honor and dignity. Idk why, but I always choose to enter the keep with Hadvar though, maybe because I'm a big fan of TES: Oblivion.

Vingalmo: Primary advisor of Harkon, member of clan Volkihar.

Altmer: Another word for high elf.


End file.
